Latest KFF Health News Stories
Liquid Gold: Pain Doctors Soak Up Profits By Screening Urine For Drugs
With the nation’s opioid crisis, urine testing has become a booming business and is especially lucrative for doctors who operate their own labs, a Kaiser Health News investigation finds. And dozens of practitioners have earned “the lion’s share” of their Medicare income exclusively from urine drug screens.
Enriched By The Poor: California Health Insurers Make Billions Through Medicaid
Medicaid is rarely associated with getting rich. But some insurance companies are reaping spectacular profits off the taxpayer-funded program in California, even when the state finds their patient care is subpar.
Health Companies Race To Catch UnitedHealth As Amazon Laces Up
UnitedHealth, a health industry goliath, has its hand in doctors’ offices, surgery centers, technology services and prescription drugs. It is the industry model, and CVS and Aetna, says one expert, are ‘wannabes.’
Big Premium Hike? Blame It On The Kids
Premiums are rising for many reasons next year, and one is that insurers are charging a lot more for teenagers.
House Tax Bill Would Scrap Deduction For Medical Expenses
About 9 million people claimed about $87 billion in medical deductions in 2015.
House Republicans Aim To Yank Tax Credits For Orphan Drugs
House Republicans want to repeal federal tax credits that have helped spur a boom in orphan drugs for rare diseases.
Facebook Live: It’s ACA Sign Up Season. Here’s What you Need To Know This Year.
In this Facebook Live chat, KHN’s Julie Appleby answers questions about what’s changed for 2018 open enrollment.
Funding For ACA Sign-Up Campaigns Varies Widely From State To State
States aren’t getting nearly as much federal money this year to explain and campaign for Affordable Care Act policies. Some are trying to make up the shortfall; others lack the cash or political will.
Rising Health Insurance Costs Frighten Some Early Retirees
Higher premiums loom for Americans in their late 50s and early 60s who are still too young for Medicare and don’t qualify for subsidies under Obamacare.
Obamacare: 5 nuevas cosas que debes saber
El período abierto de inscripción para las personas que compran su propio seguro de salud ya está en marcha, y termina el 15 de diciembre de 2017. Estos son cinco factores para tener en cuenta.
5 Things To Know About ACA At Year 5
This year’s Obamacare open enrollment will be marked by a number of changes. KHN helps you navigate them.
Postcard From Canada: In The Land Of Single-Payer, Bernie Sanders Gets Hero’s Welcome
The Vermont senator found a friendly audience when he took his “Medicare-for-all message” to Canada.
Canadá, la tierra del seguro de salud universal, recibe a Sanders como a un héroe
El senador por Vermont realizó un viaje para aprender más sobre un sistema de salud que es similar al que propone para los Estados Unidos.
Timeline: Insulin Market Under Scrutiny
A flurry of federal and state probes have targeted insulin manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers — middlemen in the prescription drug-pricing pipeline. Here, we connect the legal dots.
Flurry Of Federal And State Probes Target Insulin Drugmakers And Pharma Middlemen
Over the past two years, a powerful federal prosecutor and several state attorneys general have launched investigations related to diabetes drugs.
Beyond The Shattered Lives And Bodies, Money Worries Weigh On Las Vegas Victims
Many of the gunshot survivors who suffered serious injuries face not only high deductibles and out-of-network charges but also lost wages.
Tanta atención que duele: terapias y cirugías innecesarias agregan dolor y enfermedad
Las pruebas excesivas de cáncer de tiroides, próstata, seno y piel lleva a muchas personas mayores a someterse a tratamientos que no prolongarán sus vidas, pero que pueden causar dolor y sufrimiento innecesarios.
Una enfermera por cada 4.000 alumnos = no parece el mejor acuerdo
La escasez de enfermeras diplomadas en escuelas pone en riesgo a estudiantes con condiciones médicas que requieren de atención diaria.
One Nurse Per 4,000 Pupils = Not The Healthiest Arrangement
School districts in California and around the country face a long-standing shortage of nurses, mostly because of tight budgets. But some districts are finding creative ways to reduce the problem.
So Much Care It Hurts: Unneeded Scans, Therapy, Surgery Only Add To Patients’ Ills
Overtreatment of breast cancer and other diseases is pervasive, burdening patients and the health care system with enormous costs and needless suffering.